Sliding side jaw wrench having a perforated drive belt



Feb. 13, 1968 v K. F. HALLS l 3,368,432

SLIDNG SIDE JAW WRENCH HAVING A PERFORATED DRIVE BELT Filed May 22, 1967 2? 57j z3/524 /3 240% j j@ 36' INVENTQR. Kenneh F Hal/s AATTORNEY United States Patent 3,368,432 SLIDING SIDE JAW WRENCH HAVING A PERFORATED DRIVE BELT Kenneth F. Halls, Broomleld, Colo., assignor to Western Tool Co., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed May 22, 1967, Ser. No. 639,966 6 Claims. (Cl. 81-165) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The principal object of this invention is to provide an adjustable hand-wrench which will enable the user to quickly and easily adjust the wrench jaw-spacing to t a given bolt or nut and instantly turn the bolt or nut -into place with one hand leaving the other hand completely free to support the work.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail cony struction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity,

economy, and eiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved wrench;

FIG. 2'is a top view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section therethrough taken on the line 3--3, FIG. 2;

.FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail section looking downwardly on the line 4-4, FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a similar fragmentary section taken on the line 5 5, FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a detail elevational view of a jaw screw employed in the invention.

The principal element of the wrench is a main frame element formed by die casting or forging and shaped to form a handle portion 10, a head portion 11 and an upper jaw 12. A lower jaw slide passage 13, having side guide channels 14, extends vertically through the head 11 rearwardly of the jaw 12 to receive an inverted-L-shaped slide tongue 15 which extends rearwardly from an adjustable lower -jaw 16. The slide tongue is provided with vertical, oppositely-positioned slide ridges 17, which slidably engage the side channels 14 to maintain the lower jaw 16 in vertical alignment with the upper jaw 12, and with an internally-threaded, follower portion 18 which engages the threads of a vertically-positioned jaw screw 19.

The above described elements are more or less conventional in all crescent type hand wrenches. This invention relates more speciiically to the design of the jaw screw 19 and the manner of mounting and the means for rotating the latter.

A cylindrical screw socket 20 is die-formed or drilled upwardly in the head 11 terminating in a closed end 21 at its upper extremity and provided with internal threads at its lower open extremity to receive a threaded thrust plug 22. The screw has an outer diameter to freely rotate in the screw socket 20 without side play and has a vertical length to freely rotate between the upper closed end 21 and the thrust plug 22, without end play, when the thrust plug 22 is fully seated against a lock washer 23, thus, completely eliminating the usual screw bearing structures.

The screw 19 is formed to provide an integral, toothed drive sprocket 24, at the lower extremity of the threads thereon, about which an endless, flexible, uniformly perforated drive belt 25 is trained. The belt is formed from any suitable material having long-lasting flexibility and relatively high tensile strength such as ilexible strip steel and extends rearwardly in an elongated belt channel 26 in the handle 10 to an idler return roller 27 corresponding in diameter to the pitch diameter of the sprocket 24.

The elongated belt channel 26 is die formed or machined into one side of both the handle 10y and the head 11 and has a width slightly in excess of the width of the belt 25 and a depth slightly in excess of the overall width of the two reaches of the belt so that the belt can freely travel without side play. The roller 27 projects outwardly at both sides of the belt and the two sides of the belt channel 26 are semi-spherically indented adjacent their rear extremities, as indicated at 28, to rotatably receive the projecting ends of the roller 27 so as to provide a bearing therefor. The belt channel is closed by an elongated cover plate 29 which is inset in the head 11 and extends rearwardly along the handle 10 and which is secured in place in any suitable .manner by means of suitable clamp screws 30.

The cover plate 29 is provided with a longitudinallyextending guide slot 31 which accurately aligns with the center line of the belt when the cover plate is in place. A button shank 32 corresponding in diameter to the width of the slot 31 slidably extends through the slot between a finger button 33, slidably contacting the outer face of the cover plate, and a retaining ange 34, slidably contacting the inner face of the plate. A belt-engaging pin 35 projects axially inward from the button shank through one of the perforations in the belt when the cover plate is in place.

The iinger button is preferably, but not necessarily provided with a concave depression in its outer face, as indicated at 36. It can be seen from the above, that if the handle is grasped in the palm of the hand with the thumb resting in the depression of the finger button, the upper jaw 12 can be placed upon the head of a bolt, or a nut thereon, and the button can then be slid forwardly by the thumb to cause the belt to rotate the jaw screw 19 so as to instantly bring the lower jaw against the work for conventional wrench uses. The pitch of the threads on the wrench screw is suiiiciently gradual so that pressure on the lower jaw will not tend toV rotate the screw and the jaw setting will remain in place until preset for the next job. Any looseness between the work and the jaws can be instantly and continuously removed by maintaining forward pressure of the thumb on the button 33.

It is desired to call attention to the economical manufacture and assembly of `the wrench. Substantially all machine work has been eliminated. The entire upper and lower jaw elements with all their cavities and passages can be drop forged or die cast. To assemble, it is only necessary to slide the lower jaw upwardly in the slide passage 13 then push the screw upwardly through the forward loop of the belt into threaded engagement with the follower 18 and thence to the closed end 21 of the screw socket 20. The thrust plug 22 is then tightened into riding engagement with the lower end of the screw and the belt is laid in its channel 26, the roller 27 is dropped into its bearing indentations 28 and the cover plate is secured in place with the engaging pin 35 engaging a perforation in the belt selected to bring the jaws together as the button approaches the forward extremity of the guide slot 31 and apart when the rear extremity of the slot is approached by the button.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable wrench comprising:

.(a) a main frame element shaped to form a handle portion, a head portion and an upper jaw portion;

(b) a lower jaw element vertically slidable in said head portion below and in vertical alignment with said upper jaw portion;

(c) a vertical jaw screw rotatably mounted in said head portion rearwardly of and in threaded engagement with said lower jaw element; and

(d) an endless 'belt in the shape of an elongated loop which passes about said screw at its forward extremity and extends into the handle portion at its rearward extremity and imparts reciprocal rotation to said screw to cause said lower jaw to approach and depart from said upper jaw portion.

2. An adjustable wrench as described in claim 1 having:

(a) spaced perforations in said belt; and

(b) sprocket teeth on said screw engaging in said perforations.

3. An adjustable wrench as described in claim 1 having an idler element in said handle portion about which the rear extremity of the loop of said belt is trained to maintain the reaches of said belt in straight parallel relation.

4. An adjustable wrench as described in claim 1, including a thumb button and means connecting said button to one reach of said belt.

5. An adjustable wrench as described in claim 1 in- 5 cluding (a) a longitudinally extending channel indented in one side of said frame element in which said endless belt is contained; (b) a cover plate extending longitudinally of and covering said channel; (c) an elongated open slot in said cover plate; (d) and belt-engaging means slidably mounted in said slot and connected with said belt. 6. An adjustable wrench as described in claim 5 in 15 which the beltengaging means comprises:

(a) a thumb button slidable longitudinally of said cover plate; (b) a shank on said button extending through and slidable in said slot;

20 (c) and means extending from said shank into engagement with said belt for imparting movement to said belt.

- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 25 3,000,246 9/1962 Aegerrer 81-165 3,125,911 3/1964 Schlote 81-165 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

